Dip transfer printing is useful for applying decoration to three-dimensional articles as distinguished from flat surface printing with paper or film. Dip transfer printing includes printing an image with solvent based ink on a water soluble polymer film, floating the printed water soluble film on water to dissolve the water soluble film, liquefying the solvent based ink image floating on the water with a solvent activator and submerging an article in the water against the liquefied solvent based ink image to transfer the liquefied solvent based image to the surface of the article. Up to this point, images printed using dip transfer printing have been printed on water soluble polymer film using match color printing, which is the same method used to print fabric and wallpaper. In match color printing, each color needed for design is printed as a separate color to complete the desired image. For example, different tones of the same color are printed separately to complete the image. One color of green is printed for light green, another color of green is printed for dark green and different shades of browns and grays are printed separately to produce wood tones.
Match color printing does not accurately reproduce photographic images or other images in which a high definition or high clarity are desired. Accordingly, there is a need for a method of printing high definition photographic-like images on three-dimensional articles such as with dip transfer printing.